Reversible storage rack construction



- H. H. CASSEL 3,494,480

1 REVERSIBLE STORAGE RACK CONSTRUCTION Feb. 10, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed June 21, 1968 4 INVENTOR. I /720713021 H/Zfjfd/ A rr N1)? Feb. 10,1970 H. H. CASSEL REVERSIBLE STORAGE RACK CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed June 21, 1958 INVENTOR.

gar/71? [2511/ @VFM! fir diF/VI/f 3,494,480 REVERSIBLE STORAGE RACKCONSTRUCTION Harrison H. Cassel, Royal Oak, Mich., assignor toPalmer-Shile Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan FiledJune 21, 1968, Ser. No. 738,903 Int. Cl. A47g 29/00; A47f 5/00 US. Cl.211-176 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An adjustable storage rackhaving slotted posts and beams with teeth at their ends fitting in theslots which wedge them against the post. Each slot flares both upwardlyand downwardly so that the posts can be reversed if their lower ends aredented.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relatesto adjustable beam type storage racks having posts or columns betweenwhich the beams extend, the beams being mountable in any of variousvertically spaced positions, and when mounted, being wedged tightlyagainst the columns by inter-engaging surfaces on the columns and beamends. Such racks are used in industrial plants and are normally loadedby means of fork lift trucks which often strike the lower ends of thecolumns, denting and therefore weakening them. Since the lower endscarry the maximum load, the aforesaid weakening could necessitatereplacement of the columns if danger of collapse exists.

Description of the prior art The present invention is an improvment onthe adjustable storage rack construction shown in Patent No. 3,044,-633, issued July 17, 1962 to E. A. Baker, Jr., et al. The constructionshown in this patent sulfers from the aforesaid disadvantage, and it isan object of the present invention to provide a storage rack of thistype in which the columns can be reversed when the lower ends aredented, so that the upper ends, which are still intact, can bear theheavier load and the wedging and other advantages of the constructionwill still be preserved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION According to the illustratedembodiment of the invention the side walls of the pressed-out slots inthe columns are provided with flares which extend in oppositedirections, so that the teeth of the connecting members at the ends ofthe beams can be inserted in these slots in either direction and stillobtain the wedging action. In other words, the slots are symmetricalabout a horizontal axis. Thus, when the column is dented at its lowerend, it may be reversed so that its original strength will beeffectively restored without the necessity of replacing it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a front elevational viewof a section of an adjustable storage rack incorporating theconstruction of this invention;

3,494,480 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 "ice DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENT The adjustable storage rack is generally indicated at 11 andcomprises a plurality of pairs of front and rear posts or columns 12 and13. Each pair of columns is connected by horizontal members 14 anddiagonal braces 15. Each pair of adjacent front or rear columns isadapted to receive the L-shaped end connecting members 16 of a loadcarrying beam 17. The end connecting members 16 are mounted on the postsby means of a plurality of pressed-out slots 18 in vertically spacedrelation on each column, which is of box-shaped cross section with apartially open side opposite the slots. These slots receive teeth 19 onend connecting members 16, as seen in FIG- URE 4. There are three teethformed on each connecting member, these teeth being spaced apart thesame distance as slots 18, which are formed in the central web 20 ofeach column.

The slots are open in both upward and downward directions and have sidewalls 21 which have a double flare. More particularly, the side walls 21of each slot 18 are symmetrical about a horizontal axis and are flaredin such a manner that when teeth 19 enter the slots, the surfaces 22(FIGURE 4) of connecting member 16 will be tightly wedged against theadjacent side wall 23 of column 12 or 13.

FIGURE 3 shows in solid lines a connecting member 16 which enters slots18 in one direction and in phantom lines another connecting member 16entering the slots from the opposite direction. Actually, the column 12will be inverted when it is desired to place a connecting member 16 inthe slots as shown in the phantom lines. This will be done when thelower end of a particular column becomes dented and thereby weakened,usually for the aforesaid reason.

It should be observed that slots 18 are wide enough to receiveconnecting members 16 from opposite sides so that beams 17 may bemounted in adjacent sections of the storage rack, as shown in FIGURE 1.The drawing also has a partial showing of safety locking tabs 24 whichare the subject of a separate copending application.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the inventiondisclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, itwill be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification,variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fairmeaning of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an adjustable storage rack of the type having spaced columns ofgenerally polygonal cross section each with a central web and sidewalls, and beams extending between said columns and secured thereto byconnecting members having teeth which enter slots in said central websthe slot construction comprising a plurality of vertically spacedpressed-out channels forming slots in said central webs and whichchannels open upwardly and downwardly along an axis substantiallyparallel to the column, and side walls on each of said channels, atleast one of the opposed side walls at each end of the channelsdiverging upwardly and downwardly respectively from the central portionsthereof, whereby the connecting memher teeth entering said slots ineither direction will be wedged tightly against a side wall of saidcolumn.

being symmetrical about a horizontal axis.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS /1962 Baker 211-176 7/1964Skubic 211-182 XR US. Cl. X.R. 248224

